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Sadly, there probably won’t be many — or any — concerts or festivals this summer, given the ongoing pandemic. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be music in the air. While some artists postponed releases earlier in the coronavirus lockdown, they are still letting the sounds flow this season. Here are the albums to look …
Sadly, there probably won’t be many — or any — concerts or festivals this summer, given the ongoing pandemic. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be music in the air.
While some artists postponed releases earlier in the coronavirus lockdown, they are still letting the sounds flow this season.
Here are the albums to look forward to this summer that, hopefully, will give you happy feet — and a happier heart.
Lady Gaga, “Chromatica” (May 29)
Gaga’s first album since “A Star Is Born” made her a movie star was originally scheduled to come out April 10, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. But Little Monsters won’t have to wait much longer for the fifth solo studio LP from their beloved Mother Monster. The hit first single, “Stupid Love,” found Gaga returning to the kind of disco-stick-riding dance-pop that launched her to stardom with 2008’s “The Fame” and 2011’s “Born This Way.”
Now “Rain on Me” — the second single from “Chromatica,” which drops Friday — pairs her up with Ariana Grande for a divalicious duet. Gaga has indicated that “Chromatica” will be a party affair, and heading into the summer season with so much uncertainly still, it would be good to have a reason to just dance.
Norah Jones, “Pick Me Up Off the Floor” (June 12)
Can it really be 18 years since her Grammy-sweeping debut, “Come Away with Me,” first had us keeping up with this Jones? While she’s never matched the crazy heights of that blockbuster LP — and its sublime single “Don’t Know Why” — the singer-pianist has had a consistently cool career. So there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about “Pick Me Up Off the Floor,” a title that many of us might relate to in these trying times. The haunting single “Tryin’ to Keep It Together” — we feel you, Norah — is certainly the kind of sonic tonic that soothes the soul.
John Legend, “Bigger Love” (June 19)
Having just wrapped his latest season as a coach/judge on “The Voice,” it’s time for Legend to remind us of why he has one of the best voices — pop or R&B — of his generation. On the breezy, reggae-tinged title track of his upcoming album, Chrissy Teigen’s hubby spreads an uplifting message, perfect for boosting spirits right now: “The world feels like it’s crumbling/Every day, another new something/But in the end, in the end/Can’t nobody do us in.” Meanwhile, “Actions” soulfully brings home that “actions speak louder . . . than love songs.”
Jessie Ware, “What’s Your Pleasure?” (June 19)
In the age of Adele, Ware — another soulful chanteuse from England — has floated somewhat under the radar. But those who know about Ware are intoxicated by her mysterious, Sade-meets-Lisa Stansfield allure. I know that I sure was when I last saw the singer at Brooklyn Steel in 2018. She casts yet another sensual spell on “Save a Kiss,” the new, electro-infused single from her upcoming album. Here’s hoping that, when the rest of Ware’s new LP arrives, the pleasure will be all ours.
